Many electronic components are covered with insulative or sealing tape. In high-speed operations, it is often necessary to feed tape at a very fast rate to a multitude of electronic components. Typically, a partially completed component is fed into a taping station in an automatic machine. Thereafter, a predetermined amount of tape is fed to the electronic component and wound therearound.
The usual prior art method of feeding the tape to the electronic component comprises a series of rollers adapted to feed the tape therethrough. This method utilizes dispensers which were also used for dispensing tape in other environments. The length of tape is determined by the amount of permissible rotation of the rollers. However, the use of rollers has a drawback with adhesive tape because the adhesive tends to stick on the rollers and causes uneven dispensing of the tape. The rollers in prior art devices tend to work better with a tape which must be moistened before it becomes viscid, but the moistening devices must be closely maintained in order to have even wetting of the tape. Moreover, the use of moist tape is unacceptable in many applications, and in those applications, there is a need for a dispenser for adhesive tape.
In order to deal with the adhesiveness of the tape, it has been proposed to have a moving member on the frame of the dispenser which grips the tape and pulls it forward a predetermined distance to pull a predetermined length of tape from the reel. Thereafter, the tape would be cut near the reel and could easily be removed manually from the dispenser. Such a dispenser is set forth in Bevier, Pat. No. 2,988,944. It has a significant drawback in that it requires many moving parts in order to dispense tape.
It has also been proposed to use a vacuum connected to a roller for assisting in dispensing tape where the composition of the tape made is difficult to dispense. Dreher U.S. Pat. No. 3,060,775. However, that device is not adapted to dispense adhesive tape due to the numerous rollers over which the tape passes.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a tape dispenser with few moving parts. A further object of the present invention is a dispenser which can dispense tape to a location where it can be utilized automatically by a machine. A further object of the device is to provide a tape dispenser which can be easily controlled through the dispensing and cutting-off functions in cooperation with the controls of an automatic machine for making electronic components or other parts which must be wound with tape. Still a further object of the invention is to provide a tape dispenser to dispense the maximum length of tape in a given amount of time for increasing production. Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser which will not only dispense tape but will insure that tape wound around the components is sealed against previous tape winds and against the component. Still a further object of the invention is to provide such a device in a compact housing with a few exposed parts so that it can be located in tight locations on a larger machine and can withstand dirt and vibration from such a machine.